High Court takes up Mylanthanai massacre case

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 September 2002, 14:09 GMT]
Thirty Tamil witnesses including thirteen women from Batticaloa were present in the Colombo High Court Monday to give evidence when the Mylanthanai massacre case was taken up for inquiry before a Sinhala speaking Jury. The HC Judge Mr.S.Sriskandarajah fixed October 2, Wednesday, the date to start the inquiry.

In this case the Attorney General has indicted twenty-one soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army on several charges including murder of thirty-five Tamil civilians and attempted murder of twenty-four others, ten year ago at Mylanthanai village in the Batticaloa district.

Of the twenty-one accused soldiers, nineteen were present. One accused was reported dead and the other is said to be missing.

Attorneys Messrs K.S.Ratnavelu and S. Shanmugalingam represented the victims. President Counsel Mr.Daya Perera appeared for the defence.

The massacre took place on August 9, 1992 at Mylanthanai in Valaichchenai area, Batticaloa district. Following the death of Major General Densil Hobbekaduwa and seven other army and navy officials in a landmine attack at Jaffna, a group of SLA soldiers entered the village of Mylanthanai massacred several Tamil villagers, including men, women and children. The case was earlier listed for inquiry before the eastern High Court in Batticaloa. Later the case was transferred to Colombo on an application made on behalf of the accused soldiers.

Meanwhile the Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD) has made arrangements to provide food and lodging in Colombo for the thirty Tamil witnesses until they leave to their home district.

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